


Ghosts

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 03:56:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8148368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: When he hears reports of a speedster shooting out blue lightning, Joe knows where to go.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For one million words September bingo "don't let go"

When he hears the first reports of a black suited speedster running around town sending blue lightning in his wake, Joe doesn't stop to think what it means, how it could have happened. He just stands from his desk, making no excuses, and leaves the precinct, driving to STAR Labs as fast he safely can. 

Entering the cortex, he hears the types of technobabble he's come to expect from them, the odd one breaching his panic and making sense to him. Words and phrases like 'breach' and 'parallel reality' and 'time remnants' make more sense than he would have believed possible and yet he doesn't care about any of that. 

Not when his eyes fall on Caitlin, her face pale, her eyes huge. Her arms are wrapped across her chest as she chews on her lower lips and when she looks at him, she gives a little gasp that's more like a sob. 

That's more than enough to have Joe crossing the room and pulling her into his arms. He cups the back of her head as she buries it in his shoulder and the tremble that he could see from clear across the room feels so much worse when he can feel it in his arms. 

He's dimly aware of the others' voices becoming fainter and when he glances up, he realises that they've moved to continue their discussions in the other room, are all standing with their backs resolutely to him and Caitlin, affording them some measure of privacy. The consideration makes him smile inwardly but it doesn't surprise him - every single one of them would have known that this news would hit Caitlin harder than any of them. After all the hard work she's done over the last two years, getting over Jay and his betrayal, even managing to move on with Joe, he's afraid this will put her right back where she started. 

He loosens his hold on her, wanting to see her face, to look into her eyes and talk about this. He's met by a shake of the head that stays exactly where it is and her arms tighten around his waist. "Don't let me go yet," she whispers. 

He always finds it hard to deny that request, today it's impossible. He drops a kiss to the top of her head, rests his cheek there. "Take as long as you want."


End file.
